Pregnant Women Unaware That Gum Disease Is Linked to Premature Birth
June 13, 2005

By Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service

INTELIHEALTH -- Most pregnant women don’t know that current research supports a link between gum disease and preterm births, according to a Jordanian study.

The study involved 275 pregnant women receiving pregnancy-related care in Irbid City, Jordan. The women ranged in age from 16 to 45 (average age 29). They answered questions about oral health, periodontal disease, and the effects of pregnancy on the mouth.

Level of education was not a factor in the women’s knowledge. Highly educated women were just as likely as others to not know about the possible effects of gum disease on pregnancy.

Only 16% of the women knew what dental plaque was, and 23% knew it was harmful. However, 88% knew that bleeding gums were a sign of gum disease.

Many women experience bleeding gums during pregnancy, a condition sometimes called "pregnancy gingivitis." It’s thought that higher hormone levels in the blood, as well as an increased blood supply, contribute to the problem. Women can be safely treated for gingivitis or periodontal disease during pregnancy.

Good oral hygiene helps prevent gingivitis from getting worse. However, less than half of the women in the study thought they should brush their teeth more frequently than before becoming pregnant, and only 5% had heard of the links between periodontal disease and preterm birth.

Research has linked periodontal disease during pregnancy with both preterm birth and low infant birth weight. At least two large, randomized studies are under way in the United States to further examine these links.

The study appears in the May issue of the International Journal of Dental Hygiene.